Machine for feeding can ends



Dec. 8, 1936. G. w: MUDD 2,063,183

MACHINE FOR FEEDING CAN ENDS Original Filed June 30, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet1 G. w. MUDD 2,063,183

MACHINE FOR FEEDING CAN ENDS Dec. 8, 1936.

Original Filed Jun e 50, 1930, z'sheets-sheet 2 Patented Dec. 8, 1936UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MACHINE FOR FEEDING CAN ENDS Garrett W.Mudd, Chicago, Ill.

Refiled for abandoned application Serial No.

464,753, June 30, 1930. This application September 21,1935, Serial No.41.557

12 Claims. (o1; 113-114 of the invention is to provide improved means.

for feeding the can ends from the bottom of a pile or stack, and fordelivering them toand placing them upon the can, andsubsequently andgradu-' 10 ally forcing the can ends into telescoping relation with thecans as the latter are advanced.

A further object is to provide improved means controlled by the cans forcontrolling the delivery.

of the ends to the cans.

16 To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other newand useful objects as will appear,'the invention consists in thefeatures of novelty in substantially the construction, combination andarrangement of the several parts 20 hereinafter more fully described andclaimed and shown in the accompanying drawings illustrating thisinvention, and in which Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation, partlyin longitudinal section and partly broken away, of 25v 8. machine ofthis character constructed in accordance with the principles of thisinvention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure 1, with parts omitted and withparts broken away.

Figure 3 is a detail perspective view of the 30 ejector for removing thecans from the supply.

Figure 4 is a detail in perspective of connection in the trippingarrangement.

Referring more particularly to the drawings the numeral l designatesgenerally a supporting '35 structure which may be of any desired sizeand configuration and is preferably supported upon rollers or casters 1I by means of which the same may be transported.

Suitably mounted upon the supporting struc- 40 mm are pulleys l2 over'which an endless conveyor i 3 passes and upon which conveyor cans aredelivered into the machine. The conveyor is operated continuously in anydesired or suitable manner preferably by means 5 of a motor It andmounted upon a supporting platform [5 upon the structure In. To theshaft of the motor I4 is a. pulley I6 over which an endless belt I 1passes and which also passes over a pulley l8 to which is connected apulley Hi, the pulleys l8 and I9 forming a speed reducer. Over thepulley I9 passes an endless belt 20 which also passes over a pulley 2|which is connected with the pulley I2 for rotation therewith so that bythe'operation of the motor I! the endless conveyor l3 will be actuated.

Arranged beneath the upper run of the conveyor l3 are a series ofrollers 22 extending across the framework and these rollers are drivenfrom each other through the medium of intermediate gears 23 meshing withgears on the respective 5 adjacent rollers 22'.

The pulley l2 has connected with it a gear which also meshes with a gear24 included in the train of gears which operate the rollers 22.

The rollers 22 serve as a supporting means for the cans and toresist'pressure, in a'manner to be set forth.

The cans 25 are supplied to the conveyor l3 in any suitable manner,preferably from another conveyor 26 and the cans 25 are arranged in aportion 21 of a carton.

From the conveyor l3 the cans are delivered to another conveyor 28 to beconveyed away from the machine.

Adjustably supported by the framework I0 is a supplemental frame 29connected to the uprights of the frame It preferably by means of bolts30 passing through slots 3|. The uprights of the. supporting frame areprovided with rack teeth 32 with which gears 33 carried by thesupplemental frame mesh, and these gears 33 on opposite sides of theframe are connected by a shaft 34, the end of the shaft being angular incross section as at 35 for the reception of a tool or implement by meansof which the respective gears 33 may be rotated to raise and lower thesupplemental frame 29 with respect to the main "sup porting frame andthe endless conveyor I3 and rollers '22. The fastening devices 30 areloosened to permit of such adjustment and are then tightened so as tohold the parts-in their adjusted position. This adjustment of thesupplemental frame 29 is provided to-compensate cans of varying heights.

Extending across. the supplemental frame 29 are a series of rollers36-31 which are arranged parallel with the rollers 22 and these rollers36-31 are connected by intermediate gears 38, whereby one may bedriven-from the other and the series of rollers 36-31 are driven fromthe pulley I2, preferably through the medium of a gear 39 connected withthe pulley, which meshes with a gear 40 that in turn meshes with a gear4|, the latter meshing with a gear 42 carried with the roller 31. Thesegears 40 and 4| are supported by means of links 43 pivoted together andthe links are of such a length as to permit ofthe adjustment of thesupplemental frame 29 with respect to the main frame I 0 whilemaintaining the gears in u mesh.

The rollers 3631, any number of which may be provided are arranged sothat their axes will be in different horizontal planes, that is therollers 36 will be supported one in a slightly lower plane than the nextadjacent roller, with respect to the endless conveyor 13 and the surfaceof the rollers 22, for a purpose to be set forth.

The roller 31 is preferably constructed of a resilient body portion suchas rubber or the like, and' is provided with a shell 44 constructed ofany suitable yielding material such as galvanized iron or the like, ofany desired thickness so as to yield to prevent injury and to preventthe can and top from being wedged, the roller 31 being the last rollerof the series.

The can tops or ends 45 which are adapted to be supplied to the cans aresuperposed and are held by means of a suitable holder 46, the can topsbeing preferably inclined. An ejector 41 is recip rocable in a guideway48 and the ejector is preferably arranged to operate in an inclinedplane.

The ejector preferably comprises spaced body members 49 connectedtogether by means of a bar or rod 56 and connected to the rod 56 at theopposite ends of the machine are links 5| of any desired length, theforward end of the links being pivotally connected as at 52 with discs53, which are connected with a shaft 54 and on opposite sides of themachine. The members 49 of the ejector are provided with cut awayportions 55 on their proximate faces and inclined grooves or slots 56are provided in the lateral faces of the members 49 communicating withthe cut away portion 55 to form aledge or portion 51 at the top of theinclined groove 56. The lower portion of the groove 56 is cut away as at58. v

The can tops or ends 45 are supported upon the members 49 and the flangeof thelowermost end will rest in the cut away portion 55 and will dropthereinto when the ejector 41 starts to move backwardly. Upon a furthermovement of the ejector in the same direction the ledge or portion 51 ofthe slot 56 will pass over the flange of the can end so that the flangewill travel in the inclined groove 56 to be delivered from the groovethrough the cut away portion 58 and will then be delivered to a support59 which is also preferably inclined. Arms 66 are arrangedon each sideof the respective supply of can ends and these arms are preferably of asubstantially inverted U shaped configuration being pivotally mounted insuitable bearings 61 by one end.

The forward ends 62 of the arms 66 depend downwardly and are adapted tobe engaged by the sides of the advancing can 25. A spring 63 tendsnormally to move the forward ends of each pair of arms 66 towards eachother (see particularly Figure 2) so as to arrest the movement of thecan end 45 upon the support 59 and hold the same in position until anadvancing can passes between the arms 62 to separate the latter againstthe stress of the spring 63, thereby releasing the can end so that itwill be deposited upon the advancing can as shown in Figure 1 and overanopening in the can-end into which the top or end is adapted to betelescoped. 7

The arms 62 are provided with forwardly extending portions 64 to insureholding the arms 66 separated a sufficient length of time to permit thecan end 45 to pass between the portions 62 on the arms.

.VVhen the can end is deposited upon the top of a can as shown in Figurel, the can with its end is advanced by the conveyor '13 so as to enterthe rollers 36-31 and as these rollers 3631 are arsum 4 m. Mi

operated by means of the links 51 and the disc 53. To that end there ismounted upon the shaft 54 a toothed wheel 65, which has connected withit a gear 65' to rotate therewith and which gear 65 meshes with one ofthe intermediate gears 38. Pivotally mounted upon one of the discs 53adjacent the toothed wheel is a locking dog 66, a spring 61 beingprovided which tends normally to move the locking dog 66 into lockingengagement with the toothed wheel 65 so that the disc 53 will be lockedto the shaft 54 to reciprocate the ejector. V Inasmuch as the ejectorshould be intermittently operated, means are provided for unlocking ortripping the dog 66 to release the disc 53 from the shaft 54.

To accomplish this a tripping member 68 is provided whichis pivotallymounted intermediate its ends as at 6 9 and is provided with a shoulder16 at its free end, a spring 11 operating to normally hold the shoulder16 out of the path of movement of a portion of the locking dog 66.Connected with the other-end of the member 68 is an anti-friction roller12. A bar or rod 13 is pivotally connected as at 14 with the trippingmember 68 and this member 13 is provided with a shoulder 15, in front ofwhich a member 16 is adapted to be positioned, and which member 16 ispivotally supported as at". An anti-friction roller 18 is carried by themember 16 and is adapted to be engaged by the sides of the cansto swingthe member 16 about its pivot 11 so as to pass out of engagement withthe shoulder 15 on the bar or rod 13 to release the latter, so that thespring 11 will swing the trip member 68 to a position that the shoulder16 will be moved out of the path of movement of the dog 66 to releasethe latter, so

' that the spring 61 will move the dog'66 into looking engagem entwiththe member 65 to lock the ejector for operation.

Theparts will assume this position until the can has passed the roller18 on the member 16 and just at that time the cam 19 willengage theroller 12 on the trip member 68 to move the latter against the stress ofthe spring 11, there-.

diameters, the members 46 which constitute the holdersfor maintainingthe supply of can ends are adapted to be laterally adjusted with respectto each other, and to that end there is provided a shaft 86 providedwith threaded portions 8| that pass through supports 82 which carry themembers 46. A crank 83 is connected with the shaft 86 for rotating it.The threads 8| on the shaft 86 are so arranged with respect to eachother and the respective members 82 that by rotating the shaft 86 in onedirection the members 82 will be separated and by rotating them in theopposite direction they will be drawn together.

While the preferred form of the invention has The ejector 41 is adaptedto be intermittently been herein shown and described, it is to beunderstood that various changes may be made in the details ofconstruction and in the combination and arrangement of the severalparts, within the scope of the claims, without departing from the spiritof" this invention.

What is claimed as new is:-

1. In a machine of the character described, means for maintaining asupply of superposed can ends, means for advancing the cans, apositively actuated ejector for removing the lowermost end from saidsupply, means actuated by the cans for rendering the ejector active,additional means subsequently controlled by the can to which the end isto be supplied for controlling the delivery of a previously ejected endto said can, and a series of rollers arranged adjacent the path ofmovement of the can with the end supplied thereto and beneath which thecan and end pass for compressing the end upon the can, the axes of saidrollers being arranged in different horizontal planes. I

'2. In a machine of the character described, means for maintaining asuperposed supply of can ends, means for feeding the cans, a positivelyactuated but normally inactive ejector for successively removing thelowermost end from said supply and for causing the removed end to bepositioned to be delivered to a can, holding means for maintaining theend in the last said position, means separate from said ejector andcontrolled by the advancement of the cans for rendering the said ejectoractive, and means also controlled by the advancement of the cans foractuating the said holding means for releasing the end held thereby tobe delivered to the can,

3. In a machine of the character described means for maintaining asuperposed supply of can ends, means for feeding the cans, normallyinactive and positively actuated reciprocable ejector for successivelyremoving the lowermost end from said supply and for causing the removedend to be positioned to be delivered to a can, holdingmeans formaintaining the end in the last said position, means controlled by theadvancement of the cans, for rendering the said removing means active,and means separate from the said ejector, also controlled by theadvancement of the cans for actuating the said holding means forreleasing the end held thereby for delivery to the can.

4. In a machine of the character described, means for maintaining a.supply of superposed can ends, means for advancing the cans, an

ejector for removing the lowermost end from said I supply, normallyinactive operating means for the said ejector, means controlled by thefeeding movement of 'the cans for rendering said operating means active,and yieldable means arranged in the path of movement of the end when thelatter is removed from said supply for positioning and holding the endto be delivered to a can, a portion of the last said means beingarranged in the path of movement of the can to be shifted thereby torelease said end to the can.

5. In a machine of the character described, means for maintaining asupply of superposed can ends, means for advancing the cans, means forremoving the lowermost end from said supply, normally inactive operatingmeans for the last recited means, means controlled by the feedingmovement of the cans for rendering said operating means active, a pairof cooperating yieldable means arranged in the path of movement of theend when the latter is removed from said supply for positioning andholding the end to be delivered to a can, and connected with saidelements and between which the can passes and which are engaged andshifted by the can as it is advanced for separating them to release thesaid end to the can.

6. In a machine of the character described, means for maintaining asupply of superposed can ends, means for advancing the cans, means forengaging and removing the lowermost end from said supply, an actuatingmember normally inactive with respect to the last said means, meanscontrolled by the advancing movement of the cans for automaticallyconnecting the said actuating member with the said removing means torender the latter active, a pair of yieldable members arranged inthepath of movement of the can end when the latter is removed from saidsupply for arresting the end and for positioning and holding it to bedelivered to the can, and means whereby an advancing can will separatethe said member to release the said end to be delivered to the can.

7. In a machine of the character described, means for maintaining asupply of superposed can ends, an ejector forremoving the lowermost endfrom said supply, spaced members adapted to be separated to permit theends to pass therebetween after they have been removed from said supply,means tending normally to maintain said members against separation,means connected with said members and between which last said means theadvancing can will pass to be engaged thereby to separate said membersto release the can end, an actuator, and means operable at apredetermined time in the cycle of operation of the machine forconnecting theactuator with the said ejector.

8. In a machine ,of the character described, means for maintaining asupply of superposed can ends, an ejector for removing the lowermost endfrom said supply, a rotatable actuator, means embodying a locking devicefor connecting the ejector with said actuator, a trip, means forpositioning said trip in the path of movement of said locking device forrendering the latter inactive to disconnect the ejector from saidactuator, means for locking said trip in the last said position, andmeans responsive to the advancement of the cans for releasing the saidtrip to render the locking device active. g

9. In a machine of the character described, means for maintaining asupply of superposed can ends, an ejector for removing the lowermost endfrom said supply, a rotatable actuator, means embodying a locking devicefor connecting the ejector with said actuator, a trip, means forpositioning said trip in the path of movement of said locking device forrendering the latter inactive to disconnect. the ejector from saidactuator,

means for locking said trip in the last said position, means responsiveto the advancement of the cans for releasing the said trip to render thelocking device active, and means responsive in its operation to thelocking of the actuator with the ejector for repositioning the said tripin the path of movement of said locking device ,to discbnnect theactuator from said ejector.

10. In a machine of the character described, means for maintaining asupply of superposed can ends, an ejector for removing'the lowermost endfrom said supply, a rotatable actuator, means embodying a locking devicefor connecting the ejector with said actuator, a trip, means forpositioning said trip in the path of movement of said 75 locking devicefor rendering the latter inactive to disconnect the ejector from saidactuator, means for locking said trip in the last said position, meansresponsive to the advancement of the cans for releasing the said trip torender the locking device active, and means embodying a rotatable camdevice responsive in its operation to the locking of the actuator withthe ejector for reposit'ioning the said trip in the path of movement ofto release the end held thereby, the last said means embodying portionsof the members extending below the can end and between which members theadvancing can passes to be engaged by a can and separated thereby.

12. In a machine of the character described, means for maintaining asuperposed supply of can ends, means for feeding the cans, normallyinactive means for successively removing the lowermost end from saidsupply and for causing the removed end to be positioned to be deliveredto a can, yieldable cooperating members between which the can end ispositioned to be held thereby, means controlled by the advancement ofthe cans for rendering the said removing means active, means connectedwith said members to be engaged by the advancement of a can forseparating the said holding members for releasing the end held therebyto be delivered to can, and means for compressing the said end upon thecan as they are advanced together.

GARRETT W. MUDD.

